eCommerce Video Marketing: How to Utilize It for Your Business

June 10, 2022
By
Jomel Alos

Videos have always been valuable in marketing—it's no wonder people are bombarded with promotional videos every time they turn on the TV. However, videos are given a new life with the advent of the internet.

Today, brands want to capture their audience over the internet, making ecommerce video marketing a viable strategy. If you want to engage your audience, generate leads, increase traffic to your online store, and boost sales, videos like product descriptions or advertisements should be in your arsenal.

What is Ecommerce Video Marketing?

Ecommerce video marketing refers to the use of videos to market or promote an ecommerce brand and its products and services. Videos can highlight your products' features, uses, and benefits to drive sales. They are an appealing way of giving customers a better look at your offerings to be more confident about their purchases.

Consumers prefer videos over other types of marketing tools for being convenient, attention-grabbing, and shareable, as they are 600% more effective as a marketing tool than print and direct mail.

What are the Benefits of Video Ecommerce?

From awareness down to conversions, ecommerce video marketing can offer the following advantages.

eCommerce Video marketing

157% increase in organic traffic that builds brand awareness

Ecommerce companies that use videos see a 157% increase in organic traffic. As mentioned, people typically prefer watching videos when researching because they are convenient and eye-catching, generating three times more monthly visitors than other content.

The more these pages with videos are visited, the more likely they will rank high up the search results, aiding SEO efforts. In addition, videos reportedly appear over 14% out of the 1.2 trillion searches a year. This underlines the importance of optimized videos for marketing.

Videos boost confidence toward brands among 58% of online shoppers

Whether you're a start-up or an established name, having videos can help increase consumer confidence; in particular, 58%  believe companies with product videos can be trusted. They can clearly show off products in action and from all angles, something that words and pictures cannot easily achieve.

Having confidence in a brand's credibility and authenticity is crucial for many consumers today, with 90% looking at these factors when deciding whether to support a company or not. In videos, you have to show a human side to your company. This openness is vital in authenticity and credibility building.

Conversion rate improvement by 37%

Conversions are proof of brand confidence. And it's been statistically recognized that product videos can increase sales—a product video on a single page leads to 37% more add-to-cart conversions when compared to pages without. Additionally, 44% of consumers say they would buy more products from an online store that uses product videos.

Another study found that 81% of marketers believe that videos directly helped boost their sales, and 84% of consumers claim to have been convinced to buy after watching a brand's video.

Posts with videos are likely to get 10x more engagement on Twitter

Videos are helpful if you want to engage with your prospects on social media, whether it's in the form of ads or tutorials. Tweets with videos are 10x more likely to get engagement than those without, while videos on Facebook get higher average engagement rates (0.26%) than regular posts (0.18%).

Ready to get into video production? Here are the kinds of video ecommerce for marketing that you can produce.

Types of Videos for Ecommerce

Product explainer

An ecommerce explainer video does a deep dive into a product's features and benefits. This low-cost marketing video usually has a speaker explaining and demonstrating the item in action. You can use this to help build excitement for your yet-to-be-released products leading up to their launch date. Here is a good example that explains the Nikon D850's features.

product explainer ecommerce video marketing

Close-up shots

Product videos for ecommerce come in many forms, including close-up product shots. While less detailed in terms of information than an ecommerce explainer video, it focuses on the physical details not apparent on photos, zooming in on multiple angles or the functions that must be observed closely.

It's important to showcase your product to make viewers feel like they are holding it. This example closes in on the Tiffany Legacy Diamond Engagement Ring.

clos up ecommerce video marketing

Product manual

Among all types of product videos for ecommerce, a video manual or tutorial is the most detailed. It includes step-by-step instructions of how a customer can use the product correctly, much like a regular handbook, only better. It can also show how the product can be used in different scenarios.

In this video about the Biolite Portable Grill, viewers learn how to set it up, cook on it, and pack it up after use.

product manual video marketing ecommerce

Unboxing

Unboxing videos may just be the most popular ecommerce video marketing type. The first few unboxing videos were related to customer reviews, but brands have also started using them to showcase their products, including the packaging.

In this video, customers will know what comes in the box and what the products and accessories look like. It would help to explain each piece's purpose as you take it out of the packaging. For PlayStation's 20th anniversary, Sony released an unboxing video of the PS1.

unboxing video marketing ecommerce

Testimonials

For your brand to earn your target audience's trust, you need to build social proof, and one way to do that is with testimonials or product review videos. A positive word from satisfied customers is an effective way to persuade prospects.

Allow your customer to share their whole experience, from purchase to after-sales, and show them using the product. It also goes without saying, but never fake a review because viewers will see through it. Here, Roku customers explain how easy to use and convenient it is.

testimonial ecommerce video marketing

UGC

User-generated content can be any type of product video from your customers. Unboxing is the most common UGC shared by brands and is believed to be more unfiltered and unbiased. UGCs can also serve as a testimonial and earn you points for engaging with the audience.

In this example, Pottery Barn collates social media posts about their products and showcases them on product pages.


UGC video marketing ecommerce

Influencer videos

With influencer marketing being today's buzzword, it will be beneficial to partner with one and create videos that target niche audiences. Influencers have already built credibility and trust among their followers, so you can almost guarantee a captive audience with them.

In this example, adventurer and author Andrew Skurka collaborated with Sierra Designs for the High Route Tent 1FL. His endorsement fit as an experienced outdoorsman with the right target audience.


influencer ecommerce video marketing

Interactive videos

There are different types and purposes of interactive videos, but they share the same goal of standing out. Their noticeable feature is that viewers can interact with them, which can boost engagement and purchase intent—47% (versus non-interactive videos) and 9x, respectively.

One of the more popular kinds of interactive videos is shoppable videos that feature pinned items that viewers can click. They will then be redirected to a page where they can buy the item. Here, Benetton reused their fashion show videos clips as shoppable videos.

interactive video ecommerce marketing

Another type is the 360° video that allows viewers to rotate the camera angle by dragging the mouse or swiping and seeing other elements in the video, as shown in this example from Boursin Sensorium.

Video content marketing

Aside from blogs and infographics, you can also use videos in your content marketing efforts and raise your online profile. While you can produce videos solely for the sake of reputation and ranking, you can use some, if not all, of the mentioned types here for your content marketing.

In this example, ASOS announced that they are offering new activewear with a video.

content marketing video ecommerce

Expert interviews or discussion

A Q&A session, interview, or discussion with either internal experts or thought leaders about topics relevant to your brand or industry is a great way to build authority and trust and, at the same time, educate your audience. You can also host influencers knowledgeable about your industry and get a guaranteed captive audience from their followers.

In this video, Oracle sits down with two people of different expertise to find common ground to discuss.

expert interview ecommerce video marketing

Live selling

Live video ecommerce or live selling saw a rise in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic. Here, businesses peddle their products in real-time online before a live audience who then call dibs on the items they fancy. Start-ups and established retail brands have both dabbled into the practice, especially in a time when shoppers don't get to go out too often.

In this example, fashion brand Sassy Jones showcases the various accessories they offer during a livestream shopping session. Most businesses use a single platform like Facebook or Instagram but those who want to reach more people use a live commerce platform like Flux Panda which also offers shopping engagement features.

live selling ecommerce video marketing

Live events

Another result of the pandemic was the curbing of live events. The silver lining, though, is that people don't have to fly in from far away just to be part of the experience, with events being broadcasted live online now. Whether it's a product launch, fundraiser, or fashion show, you can use the entire or part of your live event to produce clips of the highlights for your marketing.

Bon Appétit held a variety show of sorts for the benefit of World Central Kitchen, featuring the brand's popular chefs and staff members.

live events video ecommerce marketing

Company video

There are also many types under company videos. First is the message from the founder or CEO. Humanizing your brand by featuring your company leader can help deepen your connection with your audience. Second is showing the process of how your products are made to highlight the lengths you take to create the perfect product for consumers.

This message from the CEO example from Man Crates also gives a few behind-the-scenes look at the company.

company video ecommerce marketing

How to Incorporate Videos for Ecommerce

Here are some of the different ways you can use video ecommerce for your brand.

Share on social media

From Facebook to TikTok, putting your videos on social media will help with brand awareness. It is also worth noting that search engine algorithms now look into social feeds. When you do this, make sure that the technical aspects of the video, like dimension and length, are apt for each platform.

Embed on key pages

Place a video on your website's homepage to set your visitors' expectations as they navigate your site. The About page can have your behind-the-scenes, then use your explainers for FAQs. Of course, don't miss out on including product videos under product pages to give buyers more information about the product and how it can help them.

Having videos on key pages creates a more engaging experience for better conversions. It also guarantees higher average time spent and improves customer experience.

Ads

Whether it's for lead generation or retargeting, video ads have been found to offer higher engagement than static images, with a 17% increase in conversions. You can also combine static image and video ads—when served at the right moment, they can generate a high Return on Ad Spend for you.

Campaign landing pages

In relation to ads, videos can impact your landing pages' conversions. They can reinforce your copy and call-to-action, helping prospects better understand how you can aid in their challenges and what their next steps should be and pushing them down the pipeline faster. This also applies to email marketing landing pages.

Exit intent popup or overlay

This refers to the popup that appears when a visitor reaches the bottom of the page or is about to leave the site without any action—basically, a last-ditch attempt to make them stay and convert. Adding videos to overlay has been found to drive conversions. According to a test, videos were more effective than still images, with a 42.2% boost versus the control group.

Ecommerce Video Marketing Tips and Best Practices

Before, during, and after shooting your videos, keep these practical suggestions in mind.

Video Marketing for Ecommerce

Determine the goal

What do you want to achieve with your videos? Knowing your goals will help you pick the kind of video to produce and the key performance indicators to measure success.

Address audience questions, concerns, and fears

To know what your audience wants from your videos, you first must know who they are. Only then can you answer their questions, concerns, and fears and how your brand, products, and services come into the picture. This also helps you know what kind of message best resonates, such as making it more relevant by putting your products into a real-world scenario.

Engage with a story

With engagement linked to conversion, it's only logical to make engaging videos. One way to do so is with a story. Whether it's the buyer's journey from awareness to purchase or your brand's establishment and the people behind it, an inspiring story makes for a compelling video. Emotions make connections, which is why marketers have been using them for years.

Shoot in high quality

To make your ecommerce video marketing efforts successful, do not cut corners—invest in equipment. These will make your videos clearer and come out in high definition, reduce background noise, and provide the best quality all-around. If you don't have that much budget yet, there's no shame in starting small and shooting with a smartphone.

Keep it short

This is the golden rule of video marketing—2 minutes is more than enough, especially if your products aren't complicated. Focus on the key talking points. Engage and direct viewers to purchase. The ideal video lengths for the most common video commerce platforms are as follows:

Platform Recommended Video Length
YouTube 2 minutes
Instagram 30 seconds
Twitter 45 seconds
Pinterest 45 seconds
Facebook 1 minute
TikTok 15 seconds
Snapchat 10 seconds (maximum)
Linkedin 30 seconds (maximum)

Make it work for social media or other video ecommerce platforms

Since you are expected to post your videos on your social media profiles, you also have to know the technical and size requirements for each. The dimensions (horizontal, vertical, or square) and aspect ratio (4:5, 16:9, 1:1, etc.) may differ depending on the site and if it’s an organic, Stories, Reels, or ad post, so make sure to learn about these requirements.

Make it sensible even without audio

In a survey of U.S. consumers, Verizon Media and Publicis Media found that 92% of the respondents watch videos without sounds. The common reasons cited were being in a quiet space, not having headphones, waiting in line, and multitasking. This figure shows that marketers need to design videos that are easy to understand even without a sound.

To do this, visual cues, over-laid text, or captions can be used. Captions, in particular, were found to help in video ad performance, increasing ad recall by 8%, ad memory quality by 10%, and brand linkage by 13%.

Brand it

Like other marketing collaterals, use your branding in videos, too. Viewers should associate the video with your business identity instantly, whether it's through the colors, font, or overall tone.

Use actionable CTAs

Since you want your videos to convert, don’t forget to add a call-to-action. The viewers’ next steps should be clear with a sense of urgency—"buy now, "call today," or "grab this offer before it ends" are just some examples.

Optimize file size before uploading

You’d naturally want high-quality videos, but having large dimensions or resolutions may not always work in your favor. As the site will take longer to load and the videos will require high-speed connections to play smoothly, it may turn away some viewers.

A study by the BBC showed that their site lost an additional 10% of visitors for every extra second it took to load. For faster page loading and to prevent video stalls, use the file format, resolution, frame rate, and dimension apt for the platform you’re uploading to. The size should be optimized that it’s small enough not to stall but large enough to still be of quality.

Optimization also helps in ranking, as search engines now look at site load speed when deciding their ranking. Another solution that you can consider is directly streaming from the platform you prefer so that the videos are already properly sized.

Boost Ecommerce Bottomline with Engaging Videos

Videos for marketing are here to stay. Not only are they visually appealing for an audience that takes pleasure from colors, shapes, actions, and other attractions, they can also be embedded with a story to foster an emotional connection. When you get your prospects’ attention in different aspects, you get more opportunities to turn them into paying and repeat customers.

Want to learn more? Contact us at sales@fluxpanda.com

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